Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 9, 1945.

E. D. DRAKE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1942 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 (J0 6 K57 V INVENTOR.

Ema. .D. DE UQE W 5, lit-(AA- Oct. 9, 1945.

E. D. DRAKE 2,386,387

' REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1942 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 9.1 945 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 2,388,387 BEFRIGEBATING APPARATUS Earl D. Drake, Grand Rapids, Micla, assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Detroit, Mich. a corporation of Maryland Application February 28, 1942, Serial No. 432,732

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to refrigeration apparatus and more particularl to an improved cabinet structure.

' It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement for securing breaker strips to metal walls of a refrigerator cabinet.

It is another object of the present invention tobe understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet, with parts broken away, embodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a securing member;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front view with parts broken away and parts shown in section of a cornerof the refrigerator cabinet; v

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4:

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional-view taken along line 6-8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1-1 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another securing member used in the present invention.

Shown in the drawings is a refrigerator cabinet 20 having a food storage compartment 22.

metal casing or liner 32. The liner 32 forms the walls or sides of the food storage compartment and are spaced from the sides or walls of the outer shell for the interposition of suitable heat insulation material 34 therebetween.

The outer casing or shell 30 is formed to provide the sides, top and, if desired. the rear wall of the cabinet. The forward marginal edge of the shell 30 is bent at right angles to respective side and top to form a front wall portion 36. The portion 36 is provided with extended metal which is doubled 'upon the portion 36 and continued rearwardly along the sides and top portion of the shell a determinable distance to bethen bent to extend the remaining portion thereof parallel to the front wall portion 36 forming a rear wall portion 31. The rear wall portion 31 forms with the front wall portion 38 a pocket or recess 39. This form of construction reinforceably strengthens the front wall of the cabinet.

The inner liner 32 is formed with a laterally extending flange about the door opening 24 to form a front wall portion which is in substantial parallel alignment'with the front wall porand arrangement for corner ll which comprises an car 44 secured to the rear face of the front wall portion 40 of the liner 82 by weld or the like. Secured to and extending diagonally across the corner of the outershell 3 9 is a gusset member 46. The ends of the gusset member 48 are secured by weld or the like to the rear wall portion 31. Ear 44 is secured by screw 45 to gusset member 48. and held in spaced apart relation Access to the. food storage compartment is 46 by a heat insulation spacer ll interposed therethrough opening 24 closed by a swingably mounted door 25. The door 26 is provided with a gasket 20 for sealing against the front wall of the cabinet immediately adjacent to the opening 24 to prevent air entering the food storage compart- 60 the wall portion 40. The breaker strip may be ment. The circulating air in the compartment 22 is cooled by a suitable refrigeration unit (not shown).

The refrigerator cabinet 20 comprises an outer between.

Joining the front walls 38 and 40 is a breaker strip 50 confined on one edge thereof to the pocket 38 and the other edge in flush contact with made of plastic. fibrous material, Bakelite" or other suitable non-hydroscopic non-metallic material. A similar breaker strip is positioned along the other side of the cabinet on the front wall sheet metal casing or shell it and an inner sheet ll adjacent the opening 24 thereof, and a breaker strip 52 immediately above the food storage compartment at the top of the cabinet, and breaker strip 53 immediately below the food storage compartment. Since the principle of attaching the breaker strip 50 to the cabinet. and the principle of attaching the other breaker strips including breaker strips 52 and 53 are the same, there is only shown in detail the breaker strip 50 and the draw the ends 6| towards each other thereby causing each end H to frictionally engage an inclined side 51 of its respective groove 56 for gripping the breaker strip. The grooves extend iongitudinally the length of the breaker strip thereby permitting the attachment of the resilient members at spaced apart intervals as desired therealong. Formed from the body portion 62 and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom is an arm 64 adapted toengage the flange 42 of the liner 32.

The breaker strip is assembled by insertion of one edge into the pocket 39 and then drawn sufficiently forwardly for the arm 64 to engage over the flange 42. The engagement of the arm 64 plus the resiliency of the member 60 tends to urge and maintain one edge of the breaker strip in flush contact with the front wall portion 40. The opposite end of the breaker strip is urged towards and held in contact with the edge ,of the outer shell by resilient member 61 attached to the rear wall portion 37. A plurality of members 51 may be attached along the wall as is found desirable for holding the edge of the breaker stri to the edge of the front wall 36.

In the assembling and securement of the breaker strips to the cabinet it is desirable that the longitudinal edge of the breaker strips adiacent to the opening 24 be in parallel alignment with the edge of the opening 24. Secured by screw 10 to gusset member 46 is a member 12 having a longitudinal edge bent to form a tongue 14 receivable in groove 15 formed in the breaker strip 50, A laterally extending tongue 16 is formed along the top of the member 12 and isreceivable in groove 11 formed in the breaker strip 52. The tongues 14 and 16 are formed to extend at right angles to each other. The grooves 15 and 11 are each formed to extend parallel to a longitudinal edge of the breaker strip. The engagement of tongue 14 in groove 15, and tongue 16 in groove 17 the breaker strips 50 and 52 are aligned to extend at right angles to each other in conformity to the edge of the door opening. The edges of the breaker strips extend in space parallel relation to the edge of the door opening. It will appear obvious'that the anguiarity of the tongues, or the direction of the grooves may be varied should a diiferent pattern or'arstrips relative to each other and also serves to lock them in fixed relation. Similar securing members (not shown) are used for securing and aligning the opposite ends of the breaker strips 50 and 62 with breaker strips extending along the other sides of the door opening.

It will be apparent that, if desired, the breaker strips may be individually aligned and secured by members 12 which may be formed with but a single tongue.

Corner trim strips are provided to extend across-the gap between and to join adjacent breaker strips. The strips 90 comprise a portion 92 which extends across the face sections of the breaker strip having one end receivable in the pocket 39 and the opposite end bent to form a corner connecting section 94 with its end 95 inserted between the breaker strips and the front wall portion 40. The corner strips 90 is frictionallv held by the pressure of the breaker strips against the walls 36 and 40.

In attaching the member 60 to the breaker strips pressure is applied upon the back of portion 62 to draw the ends 6| sufllciently apart to enter a respective groove 56. Upon release of .the pressure the ends 6| will frictionally engage I the front wall 40. Shifting or lateral movement oi the breaker strip being prevented by the member 12.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself to the precise detail as shown and described, but wish to avail myself of such variations and modifications as may come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A cabinet construction, comprising inner and outer shells having the edge portions thereof bent inwardly toward each other, the edge portion of the outer shell being'bent to form a pocket opening toward the edge portion of the inner shell, an inturned flange extending rearwardly from said edge portion of the inner shell, a breaker strip bridging the space between said edge portions of the inner and outer shells, and having grooves formed on the inner surface thereof, a bowed resilient member provided with fingers engaging said grooves for attaching said member to said breaker strip, an outwardly extending arm on said resilient member, said breaker strip having. in operative position, an edge thereof inserted in said pocket and said arm of said resilient member engagingover said inturned flange and subject- 'ing said arm to tension for maintaining said resilient member in a bowed condition to cause the fingers thereof to grip said breaker strip and to urge said breaker strip into engagement with said edge portion of said inner shell..

EARL D. DRAKE. 

